Monday, January 31, 2011

When 4 PM rolls around most Americans start wondering, What am I going to have for dinner? It is as easy today particularly in urban setting to pick up your dinner or a component of dinner at an independent food truck or one operated by a national restaurant chain the ilk of California Pizza Kitchen or Burger King.

However from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Oakland, California global retail foodservice operators are rolling out retail outlets much smaller than existing units in an attempt to become closer to the consumer.

Fresh & Easy has been shopping for new space in Northern California and it is reported that “The new and smaller formats would likely be about 5,000 square feet. Fresh & Easy's traditional markets range in size from 10,000 to 15,000 square feet.” There clear goal is to integrate into more neighborhoods with grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food.

Last week Walmart opened a 3,500 square foot store in Fayetteville albeit a college campus store the opportunity to test while cultivating the grab-N-go grocerant niche market. Positions the worlds largest retailer to compete in the grocerant niche for years to come. If success leaves clues these on-going developments just may be key to your future success.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Is the golden ear of chain restaurants over or are convenience stores simply evolving into QSR’s? Growth within the grocerant sector of ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food sector continues to expand. Drug stores chains Walgreens, Rite Aide, Dollar Stores, Amazon, Sears and Target are now selling fresh prepared food.

The NPD Groups .Bonnie Riggs, told Convenience Store News. "The vast majority of c-stores' business is takeout, which accounts for 95 percent of all visits, with the greatest percent of the business occurring at the morning meal and snacks, but lunch meal business is growing strongly," she said.

The C-store sector’s overall lunch business was up 4 % conveniences stores that are selling fresh prepared food they are up even more. The c-store industry's largest niche is snack business, which has remained stable. "In this downturn, 'flat' is the new up," she said.

The big news is that, the number of quick-service restaurants declined 1 percent, or 2,521 units, from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, according to NPD's Spring 2010 ReCount, a census of U.S. commercial restaurant locations.

Even worse, visits to U.S. restaurants declined 3 percent for the year ended May 2010. Plus, consumer spending at restaurants declined “1 percent, the first decline in dollars NPD reported since it began tracking the foodservice industry nearly 35 years ago.” Success does leave clues and repositioning while focusing the evolving consumer is clue number one.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food that can be portable is now being sold at traditional restaurants, grocery stores, drug stores, C-stores and dollar stores. Blend in new avenues food of distribution, with traditional products packaged with a “twist” and witness sales success.

Baby boomers continue to drive sales of new grocerant food products, demographic shifts particularly empty nesters living longer and living is smaller family units than ever before will continue to drive this change for years to come.

Richard Cope was quoted saying “as people are working longer into retirement, there is a greater need for products geared towards vitality and health in a more senior workforce. “At the moment energy drinks, foods and snacks are marketed towards the youth market,” he said, “but they will become more about getting people through the day at an older age.”

We are entering a new era in food retailing; it is bringing new products and new avenues of distribution. Men are increasingly shopping for the family looking at products for the first time or for new products that either caters to traditional male preferences or new family focused products. Cope wonders “While retailers may presume they are pitching to women shopping for families, Cope questions whether there is a need for more masculine takes on health and value. Times are evolving and the grocerant niche is leading the pack in foodservice.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Milford Prewitt published an article this past June in titled: Dishing Out Brand Awareness. In that article where is listed many chains success in non-traditional points of distribution. Here are some of the examples his listed:

"White Castle hamburgers, Nathan's Famous hot dogs and T.G.I. Friday's potpourri of drink mixes, recipe books and bar decorations have a long history of an array of licensed product on store shelves and a host of other restaurant chains have followed suit, including:

• Potato chips, condiments and an assortment of microwavable French fry cuts bearing Burger King's logo can be found in club stores and supermarkets around the country.

• With more than 500 units, the Mrs. Fields cookie chain has teamed up with Klondike bar for a dual-branded ice cream sandwich, now in its seventh year of licensing in supermarkets and club stores.

• In addition to the non-traditional lip balms and toys IHOP is developing, the family dining chain is also reportedly seeking a partner for a line of ice cream or frozen novelties that may go under the Rooty Tooty Fresh N' Fruity brand.

• Lauded for its quirky taglines to encourage poultry consumption—the most renowned of which is "Eat mor chikin"—the 1,800-unit, Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A sandwich chain has stuffed teddy cows, T-shirts, aprons and trucker caps with that slogan and other funny tags for sale at specialty and club stores.

• Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, the Tampa, Fla.-based operators of the 800-unit Checkers and Rally's drive-through burger brands, has contracted with IMC Licensing of Louisville, Ky., to license its signature burgers and fries to the grocery store channel.

• Jamba Juice, celebrating its 20th anniversary, named Julie Washington vice president of consumer products, licensing and growth initiatives. With more than 730 units, Jamba Juice already has a licensing program with such partners as Think Wow Toys (toy blender), Oregon Ice Cream (frozen novelty products), Headline Entertainment (apparel) and The Inventure Group (frozen smoothie kits).'

Additional new avenues of distribution are developing for Restaurant fresh and prepared food products. Have you identified all your options? Are you taking leveraging your brand? Here is a link to his article:

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Friday, January 28, 2011

If success were ever to leave clues Peter Lynch Winn-Dixie CEO utilizing a cross-functional team sure picked up all the right clues. Under Lynch’s sound leadership Winn-Dixie will be buoyed by positive consumer response to the newly remodeled and re-positioned units.

Entering the grocerant niche filled with fresh and prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat foods with both feet took intense research, a consumer focus and a heap of wisdom by Lynch. With a regional decentralized focus, local and sustainable products Winn-Dixie is off to a great start.

Transformational times call for a transformational leader Lynch is all of that. His team’s ability to vertically integrate grocerant niche filled fresh and prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat foods into the weekly and daily strategic marketing plan is complementary too contemporary consumer preference. In a recent visit to Winn-Dixie I witnessed isles filled and smiles on both customers and employees. Success does leave clues, and the grocerant niche is a big driver of success.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Hand held food for immediate consumption has been the main stay for QSR’s throughout the world. The convenience store sector has been turning up the heat with grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food for several years and continues to lead all foodservice sectors with year or year same store sales increases.

There is not a company out there doing as good of job with new product introductions or LTO’s as Quick-Chek. Beginning Monday January 31st, Quick-Chek will offer “two breakfast subs at all its 125 locations throughout New Jersey and southern New York. The Breakfast Club contains scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, cheddar cheese and tomato with roasted tomato and garlic spread on a sub roll. The Cowboy "Steak & Eggs" contains scrambled eggs, shredded beef, provolone cheese and Bourbon BBQ sauce on a sub roll.

In addition, Quick-Chek will now feature built fresh-to-order Breakfast Burritos in a 10-inch tortilla. Recipes include Home Style Skillet with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown potatoes and shredded cheddar cheese; and Egg & Cheese with scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese.”

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That is morning menu magic. The convenience store sector has utilized grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared particularly quality hand held food for immediate consumption to re-image itself with the consumers.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Counter intuitive as it may appear at first glance a smart marketing focused CEO is better than an MBA CEO during times of consumer or economic disruption. Julia A. Stewart Chairman and CEO of DineEquity, Inc. Operator of the worlds largest full-service restaurant company (Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP restaurant brands) is as good as it gets.

Julia understands that the consumer is not static, they are dynamic. Her ability to drive top line sales and bottom line profits during times of turbulent economic disruption by vertically integrating LTO’s, brand relevant messaging is proven. She understands Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. Dine Equity to out perform all other full service restaurant companies in recent years.

Domino’s stellar results during the same turbulent economic disruption again place the focus on vertically integrating marketing, product and messaging. While the industry faces increased competition from non-traditional food retailers. It’s time for legacy restaurant chain operators to quite spinning poor results, blaming the economy or blaming other competitive pressures. By following the MBA CEO credo of “First Do No Harm” second spin the results; short term results may be fine. However, since 2005 the percent of household income spent at restaurants has been on decline. It’s time for innovation.

Innovation, new products, new concept positions have provided the platform of chain restaurant success over the past 35 years. The grocerant niche filled with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food niche is the single booming sector within food retailing. It’s time for legacy restaurant chains to standup and standout with consumer focused contemporized vertically integrated marketing programs.

There are a plethora of legacy companies from fern-bars, burger casual chains, seafood sectors all waiting too see what’s next. Hedge Fund investors allow your marketing teams a chance at the helm once again. If not you just might be back at the table with fewer units, lower sales and a weaker brand.

Let me give you one of Julia’s success clues: Short term hot button tactics rarely work even short term. Quit waiting, focus on the customer, customer touch points and leverage vertically integrated strategy with marketing. I for one want the restaurant sector to lead food retail once again.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Grocerant niche filled with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food has found its way to the dinner table. “People are becoming not only accustomed to eating at home, they’re enjoying it,” said Darren Tristano of the restaurant consulting firm Technomic Inc. “They can sit in front of their 50-inch flat-screens and not have to tip a waiter.”

Driven to eat more meals at home when the economy slipped, consumers discovered high quality grocerant niche foods. With a selections that reflect our diverse ethnic make-up consumer learned authentic flavored meals could be assembled rather than cooked from scratch. Thus saving both time and money from stocking the shelves with spices they might use once or twice a quarter.

Family Meal time is about mix and match of portion controlled, fresh and prepared food components that are better for you. Meal time is convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Restaurateurs are not the only one now selling fresh prepared food. Competition for share of stomach continues to heat up in the retail food world. New choices and avenues of quality fresh food distribution continue to grow. C-stores, Drug stores Grocery stores are all offering affordable quality fresh prepared food.

Legacy food retailers driven by outdated metric’s just may be unwitting market share capitulators. One needs only to look at the prepared fresh food area expanding in grocery stores. Once called the deli section, meal solutions, quick fix’s. Now the ready-2-eat section has now evolved into the Grocerant niche. Company after company is expanding, enlarging and repositioning in this booming niche to accommodate the demand for increased options for the consumer within fresh prepared food.

Super Max is a great example of a grocer on the path to success within the grocerant niche. Super Max is one food retailer that has done and outstanding job with both the breakfast daypart and lunch daypart. Safeway’s lifestyle stores are building on the lunch daypart and doing great things in the PM or dinner daypart. Wawa, Sheetz, QuickChek do great things with fresh prepared food and now 7 Eleven is entering the grocerant niche as well with testing new products from coast to coast.

Here are some of the new values driving consumers in the grocerant niche:

1. Ready-2-eat

2. Fresh, local better for you

3. Portion size options, single serve

4. Multiple choice of sides and entree per day

5. Portability

Retail foodservice marketers can no longer rely on preconceived segmentation strategies, but rather need to think differently about who they are trying to reach and how to reach them. In a world where all shopping has become faster, the grocerant niche provides the bundled solutions consumers are looking for.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Monday, January 24, 2011

Revitalizing your restaurant concept? Is it time to reposition a traditional product within your brand; maybe a burger, salad, side dish, desert or do you need a new product or new avenue of distribution? Are you ready to catapult sales of the product while building interest and greater brand value? Consider the Grocerant niche of fresh prepared food that is better for you and portable.

Winston Churchill once stated: “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results”.

Grocerant products are a multi-channel products consisting of traditional foods prepared fresh that are ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat foods that are/can be portable; found in grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, supermarkets, mobile food units and kiosk. You have them in your current portfolio, are you leveraging to the benefit of your brand?

Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma , WA understands multi-channel food sales, branding and positioning. Leverage proven success clues for your concept. Utilizing traditional food and food products but updating with a new twist is an age old clue many seem to have forgotten. .

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

In a special report by Convenience Retailing 2010: Future Trading Strategies, with focus on United Kingdom the report showed that “the C-store sector is growing at a faster pace than the overall UK grocery market”. What is of particular interest to all of us is that the report also states that consumers “make more frequent trips to smaller shops instead of one large supermarket shop each week.”

That reflects the messaging that has dominated the grocery sector for years here in the US. Time starved consumers do not want to spend all day walking around shopping in a grocery store. In a special report by Convenience Retailing 2010: Future Trading Strategies, Consumer don’t want to walk up and down isle after isle looking for the 6 – 8 items they want! Thus, the growth in the grocerant niche, prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared and portable food niche.

Legacy grocery retailers that focus on legacy metrics the ilk of “basket size” are simply out of touch. There are other attributes more important to the consumer. Companies that focus on the consumer will win. Not those focused on legacy metrics.

If success leaves clues it clear the convenience stores sector has picked many of the clues and is running away with consumers. Legacy restaurant chain operators and legacy grocery stores need too follow the consumer not legacy metric’s.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Proactive and entrepreneurial both Grocery stores operators and Convenience stores operators are entering the ready-2-eat heat-N-eat prepared food niche. Full speed ahead from coast to coast, each sector is increasing the number of new high quality offerings to entice restaurants consumer to make the switch.

NPD Group restaurant industry analyst Bonnie Riggs. Stated "This is something that had been happening prior to the recession, and it has only gotten exacerbated by the recession,…Riggs expects supermarkets to continue to see decent takeout business as the recession fades, largely because NPD projects takeout meals eaten in-home will grow by 20 percent during the next decade.

Grocerant ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food is growing in number of locations, quality of offerings and in many cases a pricing advantage over traditional restaurants. Consumer retail foodservice patterns are repositioning and new sector leaders are beginning to surface.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

For years Amazon has been looking for a solution for the “last mile” delivery. Now with AmazonTote, the successful solution found within Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service; Amazon may have found the answer. More important Amazon.com may be positioned to become the world’s largest retailer.

Think of it as the Milk truck meets the information super-highway, The service “offers customers free weekly home delivery regardless of order value on a specified day. The goods are delivered in reusable, weatherproof tote bags to the customer’s address.”

Utilizing a fleet of small trucks and lessons learned within AmazonFresh, Amazon.com now has the ability to be in front you’re your house on a weekly and then daily basis. Just think how this will change the Heat-N-Eat and Ready-2-Eat food category. Restaurants and legacy grocery retailers look out. With an aging population that is now technology savvy this just may very well become the new Meals on Wheels.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Friday, January 21, 2011

Target, Walgreens, CVS, 7 Eleven, Rite Aid and Sears are all shopping for grocery products and new consumers. Each is hopping too increase brand loyalty, build customer frequency while building top line sales and bottom line profits. Within the retail food sector however the only sector showing solid positive growth is the grocerant niche with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food.

Will Sears capitulate and follow the two low price leaders Walmart and Royal Ahold and get caught playing catch-up and missing the wave. That would be a very dumb move given the dollar stores sector has gutted any profitability from legacy grocers “center of the store”, with no signs of letting up on that strategy.

Given the mall and urban opportunity Sears could find room in the profitable grocerant niche with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food. Walgreens early stumble in this sector created an opening. The stumble was driven in large part of legacy category managers protecting turf, not focused on consumer demand or demand growth. Success does leave clues and lets hope Sears pick a few up.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Thursday, January 20, 2011

While the hamburger may have ruled day in the Restaurant industry consumers are finding flavor in the Grocerant sector expanding options. Many restaurants are or can be grocerants, however to find success they will have to reach beyond there current offerings. Utilizing Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing will be key to a concepts success.

During the past 4 decades hamburgers drove sales and propelled the overall restaurant industry. Without a doubt the hamburger is now globally recognized as a penultimate American food. It is ready to eat, hand held and prepared to eat on the run; convenient, simple and affordable. Unfortunately overall the restaurant industry is showing a lack of innovation in new outlets or food products.

Might we have seen the tipping point now that, Bobby Flay, Emeril Legasse each have opened new gourmet burger restaurants. We have Wendy’s, McDonalds, Burger King, Sonic, In-N-Out Burger, and fast growing Fatburger, Smashburger and Five Guys Burgers.

Simple and affordable is also arriving at C-stores, Grocery stores, Supermarkets in the form of Grocerant prepared ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat single and two person meals or meal components. The attraction here is it’s more than a “burger” the segment is filled with flavors from Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Greek, Japanese’s, and American fare.

Grocerants are about more choice for the consumer with items portioned for 1 or 2 people infused with traditional flavors known around the world which bring an added simplicity in serving. The innovation is in choice with items that range from: Fired Chicken, Asian Cappellini, Spaghetti & Meatballs to Chicken Pad Thai Noodle or a Reuben Chicken Breast.

Success does leave clues and one of them is that the consumer has moved and our foodservice concepts must move with them.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

The grocerant niche filled with ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh and prepared “better for you” food niche is the booming sector within retail foodservice today. Caribou Coffee is jumping in and will reap the momentum building top line sales and bottom line profits.

After following Starbucks lead last year and adding oatmeal to its menu Caribou Coffee is now ready to break out with its own leading “better for you” food. The sandwiches includ a Chicken Apple Sausage Daybreaker, Egg White and Turkey Bacon Daybreaker and Veggie Daybreaker, as well as two mini sandwiches: Turkey Bacon Mini and Turkey Sausage Mini. The Caribou Coffee Daybreaker and Mini breakfast sandwiches are made with all-natural Wisconsin cheddar, chicken apple sausage and spinach Florentine served on oven-warmed brioche rolls, ciabatta and biscuits. Each breakfast

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh and prepared food continues to drive top line sales and bottom line profits within the grocerant niche. Trader Joe’s continues to expand its small footprint grocerant across the US with ever increasing success. That success is in large part due too quality meal components, that can be bundled in a single or large family meal quickly.

Trader Joe’s utilizes Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price better than any other food company operating in the US. Upon any visit to Trader Joe’s you will witness a private label single or fresh or prepared entree in most of the shopping carts.

In each store they have a product sampling and information station staffed with well trained employees that can assist you in creating a special dinner, a family meal or a main dish/ casserole of your own utilizing prepared and packed private label Trader Joe’s products. Those products reduce the meal assembly and cooking time. The outcome is a quality meal in less time, for less money in most cases. You can even sip a glass of “two buck chuck” from bottle Trader Joe’s house wine while you cook.

With dollar stores cherry picking the “center of store” of legacy grocery stores one may begin to wonder how long before the large footprint legacy store will be around. New formats and fresh prepared meal solutions are clearly leading the consumer in a new direction.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Monday, January 17, 2011

Long recognized as an industry that understands the consumer the restaurant industry is prepared to expand its relationship with the Federal Food Stamp program in order to assist seniors, disables and homeless.

San Diego County, California may soon accept the “electronic equivalent of food stamps from select customers. The country supervisors “directed county officials to return within three months with a program that allows seniors, disabled and homeless people to use CalFresh benefits, formerly known as food stamps, in exchange for hot or prepared meals.”

The program would be administered locally and funded by the federal government, a spokesman for the California Restaurant Association in Sacramento stated. In a presentation to the board of supervisors, the association stated companies participating in other cities include El Pollo Loco, Subway, KFC and Jack in the Box. Salads, soups, sandwiches and grilled meats comprise most of the available menu options. The meal options would be healthy and relatively inexpensive, both are especially important for seniors and disabled people who live in rented rooms, or apartments without kitchens, making it difficult for them to store and prepare food, he said. It would not pay for tips, alcohol or cigarettes.

Other states that have similar programs are Arizona, Florida and Michigan. San Diego would become the sixth county in the state of California. Ready-to-eat and ready fresh prepared food is good for seniors, the disabled and the homeless. A family living in a car has no place to cook. Expanding the program for the homeless and elderly will be a great benefit.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Greg Wasson CEO of Walgreens goal to evolve Walgreens from a “retail drugstore to a retail ‘health and living store” was embraced by the retail industry and store managers.

Walgreens history is steeped in a retail food background, I for one was first to tout their successful re-entry into fresh and prepared food. Wasson’s goal of a “health and living store” has been postponed due in large part by miss steps within his fresh food program.

The fresh food team has let the team chain down. It’s clear from the current results this team does not understand that the grocerant niche is about convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization.

While the rest of the retailing world is accelerating growth within the ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat grocerant niche, Walgreens is pausing. Walgreens has now scaled back the rollout plan. Originally I was informed that they would roll-out the program in 3,000 stores by the fall of 2011. Now it they are looking at 300- 500 units instead.

Merchandising missteps, product mix ups, in store placement all have contributed to excessive amounts of food being thrown out on a daily basis at the store level. The grocerant niche is about fresh and prepared food ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat. Legacy retail category & merchandising managers may not be the best suited industry professionals to lead such an promising program.

Blending Café W with fresh and prepared food is a natural success step to future program success. I suggest that they utilize Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. Then they will experience strong sales growth as they roll out an integrated grocerant food program with distinctive differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by day part.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Restaurants will continue too see a downward trend in per-meal spending during 2011 according to a new study by AlizPartners North American Restaurant & Foodservice Review. Convenience stores will garner both top line sales increases in new customers.

The Grocery sector continues to shed stores from coast to coast lead first by A&P now Albertsons aka Supervalu. Grocery stores focused on trade dollars rather than the consumers will continue this cycle well into 2011. Ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh and prepared food is driving consumer to the C-stores sector expanding the grocerant niche. Restaurants particularly QSR’s are increasingly vulnerable to this increase in completion.

AlizPartners North American Restaurant & Foodservice Review offered the following c-store figures:

-- Top 49 percent of c-store customers purchase food at least once a month.

"A lot of convenience stores have taken advantage of quick, low price and healthy, and that’s a good combination for today’s consumers," Eric Dzwonczyk, co-author of the study and director in the Restaurant & Foodservice Practice of Alix Partners. 7 Eleven

With Wawa, Sheetz and 7 Eleven all either entering new markets or adding new units in 2011 it clear the battle for share of stomach will be heated and fresh! Ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh and prepared grocerant niche food will continue to garner global attention in 2011.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Restaurant chain operators, Conveniences stores and legacy grocery store prepared food managers are leveraging retail food manufactures experience in developing new food products. The ability to tap into manufactures innovation teams, new technology, food safety monitoring and consumer insights saves money and time to market for new products. Burger King, Starbucks, Wawa, and Church Chicken all understand the importance of innovation. Safeway, Kroger, Albertsons, will all soon be following the lead of H.E.B, Wegmans, Trader Joes.

Creating or identifying distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity is an area every company must excel today. Understanding the unique balance between palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive differentiated new food consumables is the key to your success. The food value proposition equilibrium for the consumer today balances; better for you, flavor, and traditional products all blended into something with a twist. In industry speak, differentiated does not mean different to the consumer it means familiar.

Nestle, Bimbo, Tyson, Smithfield, Kraft, Johnsonville Ore-Ida and Puratos are just a few of the companies offering culinary development assistance, innovation center tours along with new product development assistance. Foodservice Solutions® can provide a private product niche emersion tours. You have a product niche you need filled, quit thinking within your four walls think beyond then to your customers.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Monday, January 10, 2011

After successful results building both top line revenue and bottom line profits in 2010 at 350 remodeled units by adding groceries to their general merchandise. Target is increasing the number of units it plans to remodel while adding groceries in 2011 too 400.

Walking around the grocery department at any of Targets newly remodeled stores it is clear to see that Target understands; ready-to-eat, ready-to-heat fresh and prepared food is driving top line growth and bottom line profits within the grocerant niche.

The confluence of food retailing and the consumers drive for continued convenience make food a natural fit for Target. Understanding that restaurateurs that leverage their brand at retail are winning as well is an important step too success for Target. In my article “The frozen “Food Court” is the new restaurant real estate play (foodservice.com/blogs/show.cfm?contentid=14231) I explain how everyone including the consumer wins.

The grocerant niche is about mix and match of portion controlled, fresh and prepared food components that are better for you. Meal time is convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family. Target is positioning itself to be a major player in this niche.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Friday, January 7, 2011

Grocerant ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat food is just another reason Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets sales and profits are expanding. Refocusing on the American Consumer, Fresh & Easy just might be consumer quick & simple answer with its grocerant offerings. This year Fresh & Easy is expanding its eatwell product line. The retail chain, with locations in California, Arizona and Nevada, is adding at least 11 new items to its offerings and 7 new units in Northern California.

All of the new products are within the eatwell product line contain “no more than 25 percent of the daily values for calories, fat, saturated fat and sodium. In addition they do not contain artificial colors or flavors, high-fructose corn syrup or added trans fat; preservatives are used only when necessary, according to Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market. “

Fresh & Easy understands Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. You can see that in their new eatwell line offerings of “steak and spinach salad, curry chicken wrap, minestrone soup and garlic alfredo salmon. All eatwell products carry front-of-pack nutritional labels listing the calories, fat, saturated fat and sodium. The new products sell for under $4. The company also recently introduced frozen eatwell meals that sell for $1.99.”

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® a Tacoma, WA based retail foodservice consultancy has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Thursday, January 6, 2011

The theme song for grocery stores in 2011 should be STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITHOUT YOU! A&P is in bankruptcy and closing stores. BJ’s announced it will close 5 Stores during its restructuring, Shaw's announced that it will Close 5 More Stores and Safeway shares continue to slip.

Legacy grocery store chains want to be all things to all consumers. It has not worked for them any time during the past 25 years. During the past 25 years new growth in the restaurant sector was stellar. Most important restaurant customer frequency increased.

All of this while grocery stores stock the shelves with items that they only sold one or two per month. Continued building bigger and bigger stores when consumer were telling them it took to long to shop in a grocery store! Legacy grocery store operators set out to prove they were right. Utilizing legacy metric’s basket size as an additional focus rather than the customer. The results are clear there are 23,500 fewer grocery stores in the US today than there was 25 years ago. This year there will be even fewer.

The grocerant niche is growing. Trader Joe’s with the highest sales per square foot in the industry on the other hand is growing units. Units that are smaller by the way are selling grocerant ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh and prepared food. Success does leave clues and Germany based Trader Joe’s has listened to the consumer and is winning.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® a Tacoma, WA based retail foodservice consultancy has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

As long as multi- generational family’s gather for meals together, the demand for more divergent flavors will continue to permeate. Grocerant style food offerings allow for increased family integration, understanding and acceptance.

The food value proposition equilibrium for the consumer today balances; better for you, flavor, and traditional products all blended into something with a twist. In industry speak, differentiated does not mean different to the consumer it means familiar. That is where the Grocerant niche falls, it is consumer inspired, component driven and flavor familiar. Understanding the unique balance between; palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive differentiated new food consumables places Foodservice Solutions® in a select industry grouping.

Understanding, creating or identifying distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part in an area of understanding Foodservice Solutions® excels. Outside eyes can bring new light and assist your company’s redevelopment and deployment of new products. Grocerant specialist can work with you to identify distinctive differentiated food consumables.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® a Tacoma, WA based retail foodservice consultancy has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

During the past 4 decades hamburgers drove sales and propelled the overall restaurant industry. Without a doubt the hamburger is now globally recognized as a penultimate American food. It is ready-to-eat, hand held and prepared to eat on the run; convenient, simple and affordable. Contrary to popular belief Americans do not eat hamburgers daily. There simply is not room in the minds-eye of the consumer for all of the hamburger chains in America today.

McDonalds with innovative new products, continually reimaging stores and a focus on the consumer is the global leader in restaurant sales and the hamburger niche. In the United States the undercurrents of a sector in upheaval and transition is emerging for every position except number one. McDonalds is and will remain number one for many years too come.

However legacy second tier hamburger chains Wendy’s, Burger King, Sonic are circling in a quagmire of there own making. Each is trying to re-energize the halo of success they have not seen in years. Success to date has proven allusive for each in their effort to re-energizing. It is very likely that one or two of the three might very well be much smaller in five years than it is today.

One of the reasons is that there are hamburger companies on the move including Steak & Shake which is profitable once again and refocusing on growth. Then upstarts Five Guy’s, Smashburger, Fatburger are garnering market share from those legacy second tier players. The next company in the QSR niche to watch will be In-N-Out Burgers. If In-N-Out Burgers does half as well in Texas as they do in California and Nevada they will accelerate growth and watch out. One of these three; Wendy’s, Burger King or Sonic might just fade away.

Is Carl’s Jr. losing market share because they tried to enter the mid price set with the $ 4.00 burger or is it the California economy nagging at the door? In any case the mid-priced hamburger category is over crowed as well. In fact we may have seen the tipping point at the mid-priced burger category now that seemingly all celebrities including the likes of, Bobby Flay, Emeril Legasse each have opened and are more and more gourmet burger restaurants. While Red Robin and Fuddruckers struggle too maintain market share, The Hard Rock Café and TGI Fridays are trying to pull away from the burger category.

The metrics for the burger industries customer mix are in flux. Clearly some of the legacy players that focus on the franchisee more than the consumer are going to continue to lose market share too both new up-start chains and regional players that are positioned to win. I believe a shake out in the hamburger niche will begin in 2011 and a road map to the future will evolve this year.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® a Tacoma, WA based retail foodservice consultancy has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Monday, January 3, 2011

George Bernard Shaw said, “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” There is no greater gift that customer that loves your food, and will pay for it-but at what price? The consumer does not understand or believe in channel blurring. Channel blurring is only in the minds eye of the Brand Marketer. Here is my formula for establishing customer focused pricing:

Now, let’s look at what is happening at different companies, price and channel of distribution are clearly challenging each other this is about share of stomach. While Subway started the focus on the $5 foot-long we can see just where it has gone.

1. T.G. I. Fridays offer in 2010 a Jack Daniel's® Burgers and Jack Daniel's® Chicken Sandwiches for $5 and will offer $5 off all Jack Daniel's® Grill entrees for a limited time at approximately 600 US based participating restaurants.

2. Steve Davis, Arby’s CMO said $5 has become a magic number for fast food.

3. Shane’s Rib Shack has a family meal (feeds 4) for $20.

4. Popeye’s now as value meals from $1.99 & $2.99

5. McDonalds has three mini meals for under $3.00

The economy continues in a quagmire so price can be a determining factor. Brand marketers must be aware of the new product and price points that non-traditional competitive channels will introduce. Including attractive packaging, new product bundling options which in turn will contribute to establishing new long term price value models going forward.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® a Tacoma, WA based retail foodservice consultancy has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Sunday, January 2, 2011

During the past several years food research companies have uncovered that a family meal can be many things. Most important companies the ilk of Technomic, The Hartman Group and Mintel all have discovered multiple options for obtaining the family meal. Key in each of the findings and most interesting too all of us is where the food for the meal comes and how it is prepared and or assembled in the home.

Here is my take from the collective data: Meal time is now becoming a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family.

Here are three examples of which we have seen first hand and each reflects a composite of research on just how meal times are changing.

1. IN home Family Dinner with Children: Comprised of meal components from McDonalds & Taco Time for children under 14 years olds and dinner for adults from Whole foods prepared meal section. This is dinner, is it a family meal. Since they all eat together it is assembled in the home and eaten at the same time. This is not an every day occasion but more often than you may think.

2. Urban family Dinner: During a recent business trip after a meeting I went to a business associates home ordered food in. His wife, I and him, we ordered from three separate companies (Italian Chinese, Greek) one was pickup next door. I was assured this was not unusual in their household. Again we all ate at the same time, same table simply different food. This occurs much more than you think.

3. Take & Bake pizza is the sole food item only 60% of the time. The other 40% of the time it is complemented with prepared food from other outlets either grocery stores or restaurants. The frequency of 18 – 24 years consumption of pizza is once every 3.7 days.

Are you selling food that can be bundled and or un-bundled in order to become a mix & match meal component for a family meal? Success does leave clues and many retail food operators are now adopting Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® a Tacoma, WA based retail foodservice consultancy has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The conveniences store sector will continue new unit growth and industry consolidation well into 2011. That consolidation which we were first to point out last year is creating a consumer foodservice battle field in Florida in 2011.

Florida a state with continued high unemployment, a low minimum wage, falling home prices has attracted QSR’s from every niche. In 2011 the convenience store sector is out to steal share of stomach from QSR’s, Grocery stores and Dollar stores. Wawa will open several units in Florida, the first in that state. Wawa is the per-store sales leader within the C-store sector and leader in fresh prepared food sales. Wawa’s quality food offerings, customer focused service and competitive pricing will ensure continued success and consumer acceptance.

7 Eleven has been remodeling stores, and recently acquired 183 units that they plan to remodel and introduce their new fresh food pairings. 7 Eleven is finding success in fresh food like much of the rest of the C-store industry. The ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat grocerant food niche is driving consumer frequency while building consumer brand loyalty.

7 Eleven, bundled with potential but constrained by self imposed legacy operating guidelines, franchisee minimalist investments mindset and roller grill mentality may capture the low end customer but not the hearts and minds of the Florida’s consumer.

Casey’s general stores while not entering Florida will continue with their Midwest expansion. Casey’s

fueled with new consumers attracted by the new ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh and prepared food grocerant style offerings will monitor what’s working in Florida. Then implement that success within their system better than any other player.

While legacy QSR’s and legacy grocery store operators scoff that the prospect of losing consumer to the convenience stores sector 2011. This year may prove tool be an eye opening experience for many.

Grocery stores, Restaurants and Convenience stores are all scurrying to reposition their menu mix of better for you prepared food to garner an increase in share of stomach. Competitive may not be a strong enough word for the battle between sectors and companies for share of stomach. The Grocerant niche is where all the action is consisting of better for you prepared portable ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat food it about share of stomach and the convenience store sector is going after it.

Florida is where the action will be in 2011 for the consumer share of stomach. Winn Dixie, Publix, Burger King and Subway will all be focusing on core consumers in a dramatic battle for contemporary consumer relevance.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® a Tacoma, WA based retail foodservice consultancy has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or twitter.com/grocerant